Picture-hanger.



L.P.RYAN. PIQTURE HANGER. APPLICATION FILED AUG.8 1913.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

lmmeooeo LESTER IE. RYAN, OF COZAD, NEBRASKA.

IPIGTURE-HANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 8, 1913. Serial No. 783,837.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESTER P. RYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cozad, in the county of Dawson and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture-Hangers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hangers for supporting pictures, plaques, or other ornamental objects upon the wall of a compartment.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a hanger with means whereby the ornamental object held thereby may be tilted at any desired angle from the vertical.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hanger with supporting and retaining elements for engaging the object at diiferent points, flexible suspension means being provided and adapted for connection with the retaining devices for supporting the hanger.

The device of my invention has other objects and features of novelty which will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and which will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a hanger embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in section of. a wall on which my improved hanger is suspended, parts of the hanger being shown in edge elevation and parts in section. Fig. 4 is a rear view of a portion of the hanger showing the improvedtilting means.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

As illustrated, my improved hanger comprises a normally vertically disposed frame member 1, which may consist of a strip of metal having its lower end bent to form a hook 2, for engagement with the lower rail of a frame or the lower portion of any object to be supported by the hanger.

Retaining devices are provided for engag ing the side rails of a frame or a picture or side portions of any object supported thereby. As shown, said retaining members may consist of inner pivoted sections 3, and outer adjustable sections 4. The inner sections 3 are pivotally mounted at 5 on the frame member 1, and the side margins, or rather the upper and lower margins 6 and 7 are bent forwardly and inwardly to form grooved ways in which the outer sections 4 are slidably mounted. The outer sections 4 are slotted, as indicated at 8, and I provide means such as screws 9 which project through the slots 8 and which are anchored to the inner members 3 so as to lock the outer sections 4 in adjusted extensible positions. The outer sections 4 are provided with retaining devices such as hooks 10 for engagement with side portions of a picture or. object to be held.

Tilting means is provided which may take the form of a link 11 pivotally mounted at 12 to the upper end of the member 1. The

free end of the tilting link 11 is adapted for engagement with the wall surface 13 so that when the link 11 is swung into different positions the upper end of the hanger will be forced outwardly from the wall 13, as is Patented Oct. 17,1916.

clearly shown in Fig. 5. In order to hold the 1 I link 11 in adjustable positions, I provide adjusting means which may consist of a strut rod 14 which is pivotally mounted at 15 to the tilting link and which is adapted for engagement at its free end with a series of stops 16. The stops 16 are preferably disposed on the rear face of the member 1 and may be formed by portions struck up from the body of member 1.

A flexible suspension cord is provided for the hanger which may take the form of a cord or wire 17 adapted to be looped and engaged with a suspension hook 18. The suspension cord extends downwardly through apertures 19, formed in the tilting'link 11 and the ends 20 of said cord may be connected with eyes 21, secured to the outer sections 4 of the retaining section.

It will be seen that the retaining sections it will be seen that the sections 4 are rigidly held in alined positions with respect to the inner sections 3.

The weight of the object, by reason of the connection of the suspension cord with the retaining members, is disposed substantially wholly upon the retaining members and thus the grip of the retaining members with the object to be heldis much firmer than would be the case if the weight were sustained upon the frame member 1. Thus it will be seen that it would be impossible for the object to tip outwardly and downwardly from its outer end. It will also be seen that by connecting the suspension means with the retaining members, I obtain an inward gripping action of the retaining members,

which feature adds most advantageously to the effectiveness of the hanger. Thus when the object is inserted in the three hooks, and the device suspended by the cord, it will cause the frame member 1 to descend until the retaining and supporting hooks 10 have moved inwardly about the pivot 5 into firm engagement with the sides of the object to be held so that the hook 2 will function substantially as a holding hook and not as a supporting hook.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 5 it will be seen that the tilting means is so disposed as to be entirely concealed from the front of the hanger so that if the picture or object does not extend above the top of the frame member 1, there will be no device visible that could detract from the appearance of the hanger.

While I have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto, except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1. In a hanger, a substantially vertical member having a hook for engagement with the lower portion of the object to be held, retaining members pivoted to said vertical member for grasping the object laterally, and a suspension cord connected at its ends with said retaining members and slidably connected with said vertical member, subst-antially as described.

2. In a hanger, a frame member having to the inner sections provided with gripping portions for engagement with the sides of the object to be held, the frame member having a portion for engaging the bottom of the object to be held, and suspension means connected with said outer sections, substantially as described.

4. In a hanger, a hanger member, a tilting link pivoted thereto, and a strut rod pivoted to said link and adjustably engageable with said hanger member to tilt said link into engagement with the wall at different inclinations, substantially as described.

5. In a hanger, a hanger member having a plurality of stops thereon, a tilting link pivoted to said hanger member, a strut rod for engagement with any one of said stops and pivoted to said link to tilt the same into engagement with the wall surface at different angles, and suspension means for the hanger extending through said link, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LESTER P. RYAN. lVitnesses T. A. TAYLOR, S. S. SMITH.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. 

